Fluid seal



July 4, 1 944. H. D. GEYER 2,352,784

FLUID SEAL Filed July 30, 1942 Hrrzmmsi f Fig. lis an illustration ,described herein;

Patented July 4, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I FLUID SEAL v Harvey D. Geyer, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to Gen- I eralMotors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation-of Delaware 7 Application July 30, 1942, Serial No. 452,846 1 Claim. (01. ass- 11 This invention relates to fluid seals and is particularly concerned with fluid seals used for sealing water pumps, bearings and-the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a fluid seal for use in sealing water pumps and the like which due to its construction is of very short length and thereby permits reduction in length,

of the water pump.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fluidseal of the diaphragm'type which includes resilient means for providingsealing pressurcbetween the parts thereof.

In carrying out the above object it is a fur-, ther'object to provide a fluid seal which incorporatesa Belleville springtherein which spring is covered with a rubberlike material for preventing corrosion and for providing a sealing pressure. y

A still further object is to provide a fluid seal of the type described wherein a circumferential lip or lips of rubberlikematerial are provided whichlip or lips are flexed when the "Belleville spring is ,in place, such flexing providing sealed resilient 'joints which prevent the flow of fluid therethrough.

Further objects and advantages of the present encloses a spring and includes a sealing washer.-

-When a rubberlike bellows isused it .may be fabricated from rubber, DnPrene, polymerized isopre'ne or other synthetic rubbers and the like. These prior seals operate in a satisfactory manseal is necessary and in connection with automotive power plants such redesign entails considerable changes within the chassis construction. It has always been desirable to reduce the length of the seals of the types herein described and this invention is particularly directed to a seal which is substantially of the diaphragm invention will ,be apparent from the following description, reference .being' had to the accompanying' drawing wherein preferred embodiments of. the present invention are clearly shown.

In the drawing: v

' of a water pump in sectionshowing one type of fluid sealing device Fig. 2 is aview in section of another embodiment'of the sealing device using a grease seal in connection withballfbearings;

Fig. 3 shows another embodiment of the invention also using a grease seal in connection with ball bearings;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of onetype of fBelleville spring;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in section and on an enlarged scale showing the sealing lips provided on the rubberlike member which surrounds type but functions in a most satisfactory manner and which'may be used'to completely replace v the bellows type'seal. Also my improved seal, being of such short length. can be incorporated in ball bearing installations as a grease seal and yields very satisfactory results due to its selfadjustingnature.

One ofthe embodiments of the seal is shown in Fig. 1 wherein a seal 20 is applied to an automotive water pump 22. Pump 22 includes a housing member 24, a shaft 26, an impeller 28 and bearing for the shaft 26 which bearing is pressed into a portion of the housing 24. The bearing 30, as shown in Fig. 1, includes an old style grease seal 32 which merely consists of a pair of brass cups 34 having a layer of felt or raw-' hide 36 interposed therebetween which resilient layer bears against the shaft and holds the grease in the bearing. The housing 2! also includes a circumferential groove 38 therearound which is adapted to receive the fluid seal 20. The seal 20 includes a Belleville" type spring 40, one of such springsbeing shown in Fig. 4. Belleville springs in general are well known in the art and consist of a platelike spring generally having radialserrations therein to provide a number Springs of this type when gripped on the outside periphery thereof are bulged in either direction at the axis thereof and when pressure is applied adjacent the center portion it is resiliently resisted by the springlike action of the spring. The term Belleville spring" will be hereinafter directed to springs of this character. The spring 40 is partially covered with a layer of rubber-like material ll, which may be of any of the usual rubber or synthetic rubbers, and which is'preferably molded onto the spring 40. When the "Bellevi1le spring ment the groove 38, as shown in Fig. 6, may be slightly wider than the spring 48 so that some of the rubberlike material also fills the groove to provide an additional seal. However, in practice it has been found that an adequate seal will be obtained even if the groove is substantially the same width as the thickness of the spring 48. The important factor being that the lips 42 are provided and are flexed as shown.

The rubberlike portion 4| includes an outwardly extending face portion 44 which seals against a sealing washer 48, made from carbon, self lubricating metal, such as a porous bronze, or plastic material having metal powder incorporated therein as described in Patent #2,263,l78 assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Sealing washer 48 bears against an insert 48 in the impeller 28 which insert 48 is preferably steel having a polished face to run against the sealing washer 48. In some instances the impeller 28 may be formed from suitable material so that the surface thereof may be machined thereby, eliminating the insert. The distance between the Belleville spring'48 and the sealing face of the insert 48 is less than the dimensions of the sealing washer 48 and the face portion 44 of the rubberlike member 4|. Therefore, the Belleville spring provides sealing pressures between the rubberlike member and the sealing washer and between the sealing washer and the impeller sealing surface. Thus a very compact seal is provided which is self adjusting for wear and for any end play within the shaft.

A conical throwing device 58 may be provided on shaft 26 for throwing any leakage through the seal away from the bearing. This leakage may occur just after the seal is installed and prior to the time that the sealing washer is run in against the sealing surface after which the seal function-s properly.

Fig. 2 shows a similar type of seal applied to a ball bearing. In this instance a housing 88 is machined to receive a ball bearing 82 which is pressed upon a shaft 84. The ball bearing 82 includes a rotatable portion 66 which bears against a shoulder 88 on the shaft. Theseal 18 includes a rubberlike member I2 and a Belleville" spring 14 together with a sealing washer I8 which is interposed between the rubberlike member 12 and ville" spring. The rubberlike member 12 includes lips 88 thereon for sealing against the member 19. Here again the assembly is so dimensioned that the Belleville spring 14 provides a sealing pressure for the sealing washer.

Fig. 3 shows still another embodiment which is substantially identical with the construction of the seal'shown in Fig. 2 with theexceptlon that the sealing lips are eliminated and a section of the rubber 82 is molded to the Bellevilie spring, said rubber section being of sufllcient length to bend into right angle formation and form a seal with the member 84. The member 84 carries the seal and is pressed into the main satisfactory results.

In each embodiment the seal is' self adjusting for a limited distance as determined by the extent of the flexing of the Belleville" spring. Obviously the wear on parts of this type is very slight,

.since in the case of water pumps the sealing surfaces are water lubricated while in the case of ball bearing seals adequate grease is present to lubricate the parts at all times.

While the embodiments of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claim which follows.

What is claimed is as follows:

In combination with two relatively rotatable parts, a fluid seal comprising in combination: a circular plate-like spring, a rubberlike sealing member molded over a substantial portion of said spring and terminating so as to expose a peripherial annular portion of the spring, an annular head of r-ubberlilie material molded to the peripheral edge of said spring and having a circular shape in cross section, one of said relatively rotatable parts including a circumferential groove therearound adapted to receive said rubberlike head for forming a resilient grip on'the spring and. simultaneously forming a fluid seal with the spring and the housing, and a sealing washer interposed between said rubberlike member and said other rotatable part and being of such dimensions as to flex said spring for causing the spring to exert a sealing pressure between said rubberlike member and the sealing washer and between the sealing washer and the other relatively rotatable part.

' HARVEY D. GEYER. 

